ODDS AND ENDS AT YEAR'S END

This morning I found a comment on my blog post about hobbies from an anonymous Boomer (she describes herself as a "lurker"). She mentioned a website I had seen mentioned before, but had not explored, FreeRice.

I took a quick look and found a fun vocabulary-expanding game with a charitable aspect: while you enhance your vocabulary, the advertisers donate rice to the United Nations World Food Program (20 grains of rice for each word you get right). I took a look - and it was FUN! Not quite a hobby, but a fun pastime... so thanks, Pinchrx, for the note and the link.

Our blog also brought another comment, with a game: "Tag, You're It". This is what it said:

We read your blog and Tag, you're it.
1.link to the person who tagged you.
2.list 5 weird things about you
3.list 5 places you want to see or go back to
4.send this to at least 5 other bloggers and link to them on your blog.
5.and I forget the last one. Its on our blog: www.mytripjournal.com/ourdream.
Hope we meet up somewhere!

This was signed with two names new to me, Doug and JoAnn.

I ignored the message. When we began fulltiming, I began to examine those things that I did out of guilt or obligation and determine whether or not they were a worthwhile use of time and energy. I now avoid anything that I don't wanna' do or that smacks of work - except those things that CAN'T be avoided (motorhome repairs, for instance, and cleaning...)

Chain letters and email "pass it ons" fall into this category. I simply don't. If any of you who have my email address send a chain email, you can be positively assured that it dies at my keyboard.

"Tag" was a little different, but sounded like work to me, so I blew it off. On the other hand, I DID take a peek at Doug and JoAnn's blog, Living Our Dream, and made a mental note to read it more thoroughly when I have time... we share an interest in hiking, food, and travel.

This morning I read my friend Jo Wishnie's blog, The Wandering Wishnies, and what did I find but a long and interesting post in response to being tagged! Jo, you are a nice person (plus, now I know you believe in UFO's).

So here is what I am doing in response to being tagged: providing a link to Doug and JoAnn's interesting blog (see above), and revealing this about myself: I don't do chain letters!

To all our readers, known and unknown, "lurkers" and "taggers", best wishes for a great year. We're looking forward to meeting up with you - new friends and old - somewhere down the road. Safe travels!

YUMA, SALAD BOWL TO THE US of A

Check this out - the view from our front window this morning when we awoke in "Boomerville", overlooking Mittry Lake, a BLM property northwest of Yuma. Not bad for the desert.

There are two reasons we come to Yuma: Our Boomer friends are here this time each year, and the weather - sunnier and warmer than most other places in the USA. I'm not sure WHAT attracts permanent residents here, but they keep coming... in the few (five) years that we have been coming to Yuma for New Year's, this little burg has grown substantially.

I don't remember the exact figures, but a huge percentage of the fresh greens you find in the supermarket this time of year come from Yuma. The streets north of town are lined with fields of lettuce, light green, dark green, and red. "Fresh Express" signs direct semis to pickup locations alongside the roads.

The south side of town has the citrus orchards, many with "For Sale" signs - too bad! Everywhere else, Yuma sprawls with new growth - homes, RV lots and RV parks. Motorhomes and 5th wheels are as plentiful as SUV's. The new mall - a year or two old now - has filled up, and Verizon blankets the region with 5 bar cell service and broadband access for our aircards - a welcome improvement for us boondockers, who had to hike to a hilltop for phone service just a few years ago.

Barry is knocking on the door... Odel wants to get going... more knocks on the door... time to get going on a geocache adventure. Later, readers!

OUR CHRISTMAS ALBUM

Over the (mostly dry) river - well, a wash, really - and through the (short, scrubby) woods - more like a mesquite forest - to "Mom's" house they go...

All us scattered "children" gathered yesterday for the Christmas feast at Paws and Hooves Ranch in Cochise County, Arizona. Odel and I were parked in our usual spot near the minature horse stable; everyone else came from Bisbee. Here is our Christmas album.

My Auntie Carol, known as MOM to more than one Escapee Boomer and to all her "adoptees" in the area, with the 20 pound turkey. In our group of nine, four were vegetarians. A twenty pound turkey for five omnivores gives you a good idea of the proportions that graced the Christmas table.

I tried, I really did, to caption this photo. Words failed me, so it is up to you. This is my cousin Rosanna, animated by her new Day of the Dead apron.

My man Odel confronts the 20 pound turkey in his carving attire.

Here is Ron, preparing his specialty, Caesar Salad. He brings his own giant bowl and salad implements (along with the ingredients). It is rumored that he can't make salad for fewer than 12 people, so we had some leftovers.

The buffet is ready: giant salad, giant turkey, cornbread stuffing, gravy, southern greens, corn casserole, sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower, cranberry relish.

Odel's plate (first round). Believe it or not, we had dessert, too - Frank's unbelieveably good cheesecake (better than any you have ever had, no matter what you might think) and a huge pecan pie. We all vowed to cook half as much food next year - which I think is what we said last year.

Last night the temperature dropped to 16 degrees - we needed those Christmas calories to survive (hibernating bears come to mind). We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, wherever you are.